Sept-03-09 Mercer County, Ewing to Host Event for Launch of Website Highlighting Trenton Bath House

Contact: Julie Willmot
(609) 278-7137

TRENTON, N.J. — Mercer County Executive Brian M. Hughes is inviting the public to celebrate the famous Louis Kahn-designed Trenton Bath House and the launch of a new website dedicated to the historic building.

The Bath House, located in Ewing on the grounds of the former Trenton Jewish Community Center, was in danger of deteriorating beyond repair in recent years before Mercer County and Ewing Township partnered in 2007 to save and restore it.

Hughes, together with Ewing Mayor Jack Ball and the Ewing Township Historic Preservation Society, will host the celebration from 3 to 7 p.m., Monday, Sept. 14, at the Ewing Senior and Community Center (ESCC), 999 Lower Ferry Road. The event is open to the public and is free of charge.

While significant improvements to the Bath House, pool, and Day Camp Pavilions continue, a crucial element of the restoration project includes promoting the importance of this pivotal early work by Kahn. Toward that end, a comprehensive, interactive website, http://www.kahntrentonbathhouse.org, is now available online. It gives County residents, students of architecture, and international fans of Kahn and his work a new way to view and appreciate the Bath House.

“There has been a newfound appreciation for this type of architecture and therefore we felt it imperative to preserve the work of an important figure in architecture here in Mercer County,” said Hughes. “This website offers a global window to the Trenton Bath House for those who cannot visit the structures in person.”

The ESCC continues to be a community gathering place for all generations. Simultaneously, the Bath House, tucked away in the suburbs, is revered worldwide for its architectural significance and hosts a continuous stream of international visitors.

Visitors to the website can listen to an audio tour, view video podcasts, see images of the Bath House as well as other works by Kahn and his influences, and learn much more about the history of the Trenton Bath House and future restoration plans. This preservation work is being funded by a generous grant from the New Jersey Historic Trust and the Garden State Historic Preservation Trust Fund.

Funding for development of the website was made possible by grants from the New Jersey Council for the Humanities, a state partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities, the New Jersey Historical Commission/Department of State, and the Jordan Preservation Excellence Fund/National Trust for Historic Preservation.